1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable measurement apparatus having a function of calculating a statistical value from measured data of several batches, and more particularly, to a portable measurement apparatus capable of reducing burden to be imposed on a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional techniques in the art include, for example, the xe2x80x9cstopwatch apparatusxe2x80x9d as disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. Hei H07-97142 B. This kind of stopwatch apparatus can store performance data measured by stopwatch functions in several batches in a storing region for measured data, and further, can calculate statistical values (statistical data), e.g., a total measurement time, an average time, the best lap, the worst lap or the like from the stored measured data of several batches. A user can confirm the stored measured data or performance data or the calculated statistical data by conducting a certain operation, for example, by pushing a certain button.
In general, a portable measurement apparatus such as the conventional stopwatch apparatus as described above has to meet a strict limitation on an amount of measured data that can be stored therein, in view of limitations on size and/or cost.
In the practical situation, it is sometimes desired, for example, for a user as a runner to see such data as an average running time over a period of one year of a runner, or measured data in detail at a certain athletic meet. The above-mentioned conventional stopwatch apparatus cannot meet such a request in which a user wants to confirm these kinds of statistical data to be calculated based on the measured data of several batches, or several measured data in detail. This is because the conventional apparatus cannot store all of the measured data of several batches since it has to meet a strict limitation on an amount of measured data that can be stored therein.
In this case, a user typically behaves as follows. The record of the measured data is started onto a storing region for measured data in the above-mentioned conventional stopwatch apparatus, as usual. When the storing region becomes full, the measured data that have been stored in the storing region are copied by hand onto, e.g., a notebook or the like, and erase the copied measured data from the storing region. Thereafter, the recording of data onto the storing region is resumed. When the storing region becomes full again, the same procedures of copying the measured data that have been stored in the storing region onto a notebook or the like and erasing the copied measured data from the storing region are repeated. Finally, necessary statistical data are calculated from the measured data that were copied onto the notebook or the like.
However, according to the above-mentioned conventional art, when a user wants to confirm any statistical data to be calculated based on the measured data of several batches, or see several measured data in more detail, a user has to repeat the procedures of copying the measured data and erasing the stored measured data in order to calculate the required statistical data. There is a problem in that this is tiresome, and the user has to endure increased burden. In addition, errors are likely to occur when copying the measured data and/or when inputting necessary data for calculation, thereby there was a problem of deteriorating the reliability of the measured data and/or the statistical data. Furthermore, there was a problem in that the measured data or the statistical data cannot be confirmed immediately when required to do so.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and therefore has an object thereof to reduce burden imposed on a user, and to allow a user to immediately confirm measured data and statistical data with the high reliability immediately when required to do so, even when an available storage capacity is limited.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the invention, there is provided a portable measurement apparatus comprising: measurement means for measuring at least one of a time, a period of time, a pulse rate, a blood pressure, an atmospheric pressure, a temperature, an intensity of magnetic field, a speed, and a distance, and outputting the measured data; and measured data storing means for storing the measured data to be outputted from the measurement means, there are further provided: setting means for setting a determination regarding whether or not the measured data to be outputted from the measurement means is stored in the measured data storing means; and measured data storing control means for controlling the data storing operation so that the measured data to be outputted from the measurement means is stored in the measured data storing means only when it has been determined in the setting means to store the measured data.
Furthermore, in this portable measurement apparatus, in order to enable to confirm the statistical data to be calculated from the measured data of several batches, there are provided: statistical data storing means for storing statistical data that is a statistical value obtained by sequentially processing and calculating the measured data to be outputted from the measurement means; and, update means for calculating new statistical data by employing the measured data and the statistical data stored in the statistical data storing means each time the measured data is outputted from the measurement means, and updating the statistical data in the statistical data storing means by employing the calculated new statistical data. In this portable measurement apparatus, at least one of a time, a period of time, a pulse rate, a blood pressure, an atmospheric pressure, a temperature, an intensity of magnetic field, a speed, and a distance is measured, and new statistical data is calculated by employing the measured data and the stored statistical data to update the statistical data by employing the calculated new statistical data. Furthermore, it is set whether the measured data is stored or not, and the measured data is stored only when it is determined that the measured data should be stored.
Furthermore, in order to confirm temporal changes in the statistical data over the predetermined times or predetermined periods of time, the statistical data may include a plurality of statistical values for the respective predetermined times or for the respective predetermined periods of time, and the update means may update the corresponding statistical data based on the time or the period of time when the measured data has been measured. In this portable measurement apparatus, the statistical data includes a plurality of statistical values for the respective predetermined times or for the respective predetermined periods of time, and based on the time or the period of time when the measured data has been obtained, the corresponding statistical data is updated.
Furthermore, time period setting means may be provided for arbitrarily setting a time or a period of time for obtaining the statistical data.
In addition, a plurality of calculation schemes may be allowed to be set for calculating the statistical data, and the update means may calculate a plurality of kinds of the statistical data by employing the thus-set plurality of calculation schemes to update the plurality of the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.
In this portable measurement apparatus, a plurality of calculation schemes are allowed to be set for calculating the statistical data, and a plurality of kinds of the statistical data are calculated by employing the thus-set plurality of calculation schemes so as to update the plurality of the statistical data in the statistical data storing means.